This aim of the project was to investigate the role of neural synchronization in postural control and to investigate how the neural coordination involved in postural control changes across the lifespan. To this end, a new network approach was developed to investigate human postural control and how neural coordination breaks down with ageing.
The ageing population in Europe will have a major impact on economy and well-being, resulting in an increase in motor impairments and movement-related disorders. It is estimated that every year within the EU 3.8 million older people attend emergency departments with a fall-related injury and 35,000 die as a consequence of falls. Although many factors influencing fall risk have been identified, e.g. muscle loss and impaired sensation, little remains known about changes in neural coordination of posture across the lifespan.
In this project, muscle network analysis is proposed as a novel approach to assess postural control across the lifespan. The aims of the project are to:
• Investigate the mechanisms underlying postural networks and determine the role of cortical sensorimotor cortices
• Investigate the functional role of postural networks and assess how executive control modulates the coordination between muscles
• Investigate how postural networks changes across the lifespan to gain new insights into the motor impairments observed with normal ageing
The overall objective of the project is to evaluate the age-related changes in postural control that can be revealed by this new network approach. The outcomes of this fellowship may provide new markers of physiological changes that predict fall risk and identify potential targets of interventions to reduce falls.
